Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-13


of the United States is S12 80 per capita
each year. This is the average for men,
women and children. Estimating that /
Texas has a population of $780,
000' people this would show the
direct cost of the liquor traffic
to the people of Texas annually TO be
S43, 100000, 3 sum equal to almost per
cent. of the entire taxable values of the
state.
Nor is this all. By again referring TO
the Comptroller's report it is found that
it costs an average Of 100000 8 year to
keep up our state asylums. 1t is also
found that it costs IN round numbers
$3.50, 900 year to pay the expenses of cur
judiciary. Here is almost 81, 200, 000-an
amount nesrly double the taxes paid by
the liquor traffic-and it is susceptible of
demonstration that eight-tenths of the
insanity and crime in Texas is due
directly TO the use Of liquor. And,
looking at the question from purely
business standpoint, it is clearly shown
that while the average cost of liquor
year for every man, woman and child ii
Texas is $3.50 each, the revenue derived
from the liquor traffic Is less than Is cents
per capita. This would leave q clear
gain tc every man, woman and child in
Texas OF 1925 year under prohibition,
making grand total of almost $4,000
900 saved to the people of Texas each
year. If it is argued that prohibition
does not prohibit we may, for arguments
sake, agree that it only half prohibits.
Then, and in that event, the net saving to
the people Of Texas WOULD be in the
neighborhood of 10000, 900 year.
The state might, if 1t could, put L.
| cense on the manufacture of counterfeit
money, but III so doing it would soon
find it's own currency deprecated to a
worthless minimum OF value. It does tax
the liquor traffic, receiving from it nearly
| $500, 900 8 year, but the seeds of crime,
| insanity, pauperism, anarchy and law
lessness that it ellOWs soWn for this sti-
pend, produce an annual cost to the peo-
pie of Texas of nearly $43,000,0 600 Or,
in other words, the state taxes business
| 100000 year which drains the people
OF the state of $43,00G,000 year
Waco Advance.
! Brethren OF the press, let US reason
together. There is 8 little question of
ethics and economies upon which there is
| great diversity of opinion. Some of as
think the best interests of society and
OF the state would be subserved by
adopting one course, and some anoth-
| er. Those of US who are honest in our
convictions will give our opponents credit
for the same measure OF honesty. It is
simply q little family disagreement that
we have had to go to law about. There
| is no occasion for any examination and
recriminatiOn; no reason why any bad
blood should be engendered; and he who
frin %n cTI 11%
| the other in bitterness and hatred is
an enemy to both sides There should be
no effort at ostraclsm or prescription but
an intelligent discussion of the issue and
a conclusion reached by careful investiga-
ton and sober judgment. Whether for
or against the amendment let US be toler-
ant and dispassionate. Only the fanatic
and the bigot will endeaVor to foment
strife Gainesville Register.
~
The Dallas News seems inclined to
| bulIdoze all prominent Democrats into
| the anti-prohibition ranks. Because Mr.
| HerndOn of Tyler espouses. prohibition
| the News says: "It was a Democratic
communication that retired Mr.. Herndon
| from public position. Can it be that he
nursed spite against the party ever
| since Certainly if he has been harbor-
ing all this time desire to be avenged,
| he could not have found better oppor-
tunity for carrying it into effect" Now,
as the Democratic party authorita-
| lively in convention, declared prohi-
bition nOn-partisaG question aRQ that
| Democrats could take either side Without
impairing their party standing, it is hard
| to see wherein he avenges himself on the
party by taking the prohibition side. The
! Democratic party is well aware that the
| News has always been it's covert enemy
and easily interprets all such utterances
as the above. The party will not go to
wreck on the rock the News is providing
for it. There are good arguments for
ants TO use without appealing to party
prejudice. The party cannot be dragged
into the fight [CIeburne Chronicle.
-
| The San Antonio Express mas broken
out with fresh Democratic zeal over the
prohibition question, and while it dis
plays its usual courtesy and moderation
it is none the less pointed and positive in
reading the "dry'' brethren out of the
party. In its opinion this must be done
not only in the present campaign, but it
! insists that hereafter ell men who come
before Democratic conventions, or before
the people with Democratic nomina-
tions, must be required to make salts
| factory exhibit of chow and where
they stood when Democratic principles
were at stake" This means that all pro-
| hibitionists must be made to stand aside
IN the future as men who have abandoned
their Democratic faith and gone off after
| strange gods. Fortunately the Express
speaks only for itself and few other
over jealous Democrats who would much
prefer to crack the party whip than to
| fight the whisky question on the bare
issue. The Democratic party of Texas
has spoken too plainly at Galveston for
any Democrat to hesitate to take what
ever position he chooses On the prOhibi-
! ton amendment, in fear of party disci-
pine. And the Dem 3cratic prohibitio2ists
of Texas are certainly not weak enough in
numbers &c be at all apprehensive of any
bulldozing process. They constitute
majority of their party in the state, as To-
cal option elections in the past have
shown, and as the August election will
show; and while they do not propose to
read anybody out for difference OF opin-
ion in this campaign, they will notebe
read out by any authority less than the
solemn declaration of the party itself in
convention assembled. And it is safe TO
say that this will never be done in The
state of Texas, within the present gener-
| alton OF yoters.-[ Waco Day.
a
Gus Turner, n his little speech before
the anti-prohibition convention last Sat-
urday, said he should oppose the iprohibi-i
ton amendment because it was too radi-
cal-because it placed the still-house and
the vineyard on,the same footing. This
argument will be freely used, end the
poor oppressed grapegrower will be held
up for sympathy Or all sides. But one
fact can be noticed alWays-it isn't the